Ranked-choice voting

Introduction
Pros
- Pro 1: Ranked-choice voting is often a less expensive form of voting and one that ensures that winners have some level of support from the majority of voters.
- Pro 2: Ranked-choice voting increases voter voice and choice, offering a more diverse pool of candidates.
- Pro 3: Ranked-choice voting decreases negative campaigning, encourages candidates to campaign beyond their base, and increases voter turnout.
Cons
- Con 1: Ranked-choice voting can eliminate the candidate with the most first-place votes, favor moderate candidates with only marginal support, and encourage scheming to get around these limitations.
- Con 2: Ranked-choice voting disenfranchises voters, limiting their choices and “exhausting” their ballots.
- Con 3: Ranked-choice voting complicates voting, delays results, and is more vulnerable to corruption.
Assessment quiz
1-minute survey
Discussion questions
Sources

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

Paper ballot with the word Vote at the top and checkboxes next to the names Candidate A, Candidate B, and Candidate C, placed on a wooden surface.

How does ranked-choice voting work?

An infographic visually explains ranked choice voting with illustrated people and bar graphs. It outlines how voters rank candidates, shows initial vote distribution, demonstrates how lowest-ranking candidates are eliminated and their votes redistributed, and displays the final count determining the winner.

Ranked-choice voting: References & Edit History

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

The Editors of ProCon
ProCon's editors write and verify new content and update existing content. ProCon presents the pro and con arguments to debatable issues in a straightforward, nonpartisan, freely accessible way.

Article History

Type	Description	Contributor	Date
	Discussion questions standardized.	The Editors of ProCon	Jul 23, 2026
	Quiz added.	The Editors of ProCon	Feb 24, 2026
	Title adjusted.	The Editors of ProCon	Dec 16, 2025
	Survey added.	The Editors of ProCon	Nov 04, 2025
	Image adjustment.	The Editors of ProCon	Oct 15, 2025
	New article added.	The Editors of ProCon	Oct 14, 2025